PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to request City Council adoption of a resolution establishing the specification for the classification of Senior Instrument Controls Technician CTC No. 0808, as shown in the attachment.

BACKGROUND

The Instrument Controls Technician is a general technician position that has been utilized to manage, maintain, and test the control systems, water quality control systems, and monitoring systems of local generation at Burbank Water and Power.  This position is the appropriate level for these duties during those limited periods when loads are expected to be at seasonally high levels.

However, with the Magnolia Power Plant Project has come the requirement to operate at a maximum capability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, with a minimum down time for inspections.  It has become evident with the tremendous increase in the technical workload that is associated with this project that the manager will no longer be able to efficiently and effectively accomplish the managerial, supervisory, and technical requirements.  The new proposed title and specification of Senior Instrument Controls Technician is a more advanced higher technical level of power plant control technician than the Instrument Controls Technician.  It will be the responsibility of the Senior Instrument Controls Technician to provide the technical leadership to the Instrument Controls Technicians and to manage, maintain, and test the controls systems of the Magnolia, Lake One, Olive 1, and Olive 2 power plants.  The Senior Instrument Controls Technician will bridge the gap between the manager and the Instrument Controls Technicians and will take over the day-to-day supervision of the crew.

The establishment of this classification will allow the division more flexibility as it continues to reorganize the operations while providing career opportunities consistent with the other crews within the division.

The new proposed title and specification accurately describes the actual duties and requirements for this type of position. 

ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION

The establishment of the new title and specification for the classification of Senior Instrument Controls Technician will allow the department to have a more advanced higher technical level of power plant technician than is currently available.  This position is necessary to appropriately tie the relationship between the manager and the Instrument Controls Technicians and to assist the manager with the tremendous increase in the technical workload that has been brought to this division with the Magnolia Power Project.  This will also assist the department as it needs to recruit in this highly specialized field. 

This classification will be a Civil Service position, represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  This position will not be included in the City�s Conflict of Interest Code.  The Civil Service Board approved the establishment of this specification at their regular meeting on June 2, 2004.

FISCAL IMPACT

The salary range for the Senior Instrument Controls Technician position was established by comparing the salary and duties for this position with Burbank�s survey agencies of Glendale, Pasadena, Edison, and Los Angeles to the proposed duties for this position and by comparing this position to other comparable positions within Burbank Water and Power. The salary range will be set at $5,432 - $6,616.

Burbank Water and Power will be upgrading one Instrument Controls Technician position to Senior Instrument Controls Technician so that there will be the same number of total positions.  The estimated additional costs associated with upgrading one Instrument Controls Technician to the proposed Senior Instrument Controls Technician would be $7,104 per year.  This increase will be achieved this fiscal year through salary savings.  The position will be budgeted in the 2005/2006 Budget.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution establishing the specification for the classification of Senior Instrument Controls Technician CTC No. 0808 and that the salary for the classification be set as proposed.

Respectfully submitted,

Judie Sarquiz

Management Services Director